MOF and Service Management at Microsoft

MOF in Multiple Languages

Betsy Norton-Middaugh, MOF Team — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:07:49 GMT

Did you know that MOF materials are also available in Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Japanese? Because MOF is licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution License, anyone can take the materials and adapt them for their own use as long as they give attribution to Microsoft for the original materials. Several of our MOF users outside the US have taken the time to make MOF guidance accessible for more people around the world. Thanks to Cleber Marques, the core MOF materials and more are available in Portuguese at www.mof.com.br . Gaston Martínez translated the core MOF materials into Spanish. These are also available at www.mof.com.br There is a Russian version available on TechNet at http://technet.microsoft.com/ru-ru/library/bb741061.aspx . The MOF Change and Configuration course is available in Japanese. Contact Kensuke Takimoto Kensuke.Takimoto@microsoft.com if you are interested in this. Lastly, a German version of the MOF exam is available through EXIN. www.exin-exams.com Do you know of any others? Please let us know , so we can help others access these great localized resources!...(read more)

Get to work with the updated MOF Quick Start Kit for IT Pros

Betsy Norton-Middaugh, MOF Team — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:21:11 GMT

The MOF IT Pro Quick Start Kit has been updated with new materials and references to the latest MOF supplemental materials-all to help IT pros get up and running with MOF 4.0. § Download the MOF IT Pro Quick Start Kit § Learn more about MOF 4.0 The MOF IT Pro Quick Start Kit is complete with ready-to-use graphics and comprehensive presentation decks to allow IT pros to add the material to any presentation with ease. Topics covered include an overview of MOF 4.0, information on MOF and compliance, training and certification updates, and review aids. Available on the MOF home page, this customer-facing kit includes presentations, a data sheet, graphics, mind maps, and links to supporting content. Get MOF. Get to work. Tell us what you think! Please send questions and constructive feedback to the MOF team: MOFpm@microsoft.com . Get the latest tips from Microsoft Solution Accelerators-in 140 characters or less! Follow us on Twitter: @MSSolutionAccel ....(read more)

Apply MOF guidance to Microsoft products and technologies

Jerry Dyer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:02:21 GMT

Last month we announced the release of our most recent beta materials—thanks to those of you who provided feedback and helped influence their development. We’re now pleased to announce that those MOF materials are available for download! These materials will provide organizations with the resources to apply MOF guidance to Microsoft® products and technologies. This collection of workbooks, diagrams, and companion guides will help IT pros offer services that run smoothly and deliver expected value. Download new MOF resources: · Bridging from MOF Guidance to Microsoft Products: A MOF Companion Guide · Diagrams of MOF Management Reviews · MOF Reliability Workbook for DirectAccess · MOF Reliability Workbook for Exchange 2010 Client Access and Transport · MOF Reliability Workbook for Exchange 2010 Mailbox Services · MOF Reliability Workbook for Forefront® Unified Access Gateway · MOF Reliability Workbook for SQL Server® 2008 More information The MOF/Microsoft products companion guide bridges the gap between high-level service management processes and real-world application by clearly outlining how to apply MOF concepts using Microsoft products. The best practices outlined in this guidance will help facilitate collaboration between IT process and IT technology professionals, and make it easier to achieve improved service management outcomes in a timely manner. Learn more. Diagrams of MOF Management Reviews, which summarize the concepts outlined in the corresponding guide, are intended to help organizations ensure that their IT services are on track to deliver expected value. The colorful graphics logically put the goals, process flow steps, key terms, outcomes/metrics, and role types of each management review into context. The visual representations provide the knowledge to help management set goals, evaluate progress, and confirm results. Learn more. The reliability workbooks present hands-on tasks that you can fine tune to meet the goals of your organization and the technologies that you use. Learn more. Tell us what you think! As always, w e’d like your honest and constructive feedback: Please send your comments to MOF@microsoft.com ....(read more)

Corrected URL for MOF beta materials on Microsoft Connect

Jerry Dyer — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:20:48 GMT

The previous post about the latest MOF beta package had the incorrect link. Try this one instead. https://connect.microsoft.com/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=1880&InvitationID=SAMI-HWK9-XB3Y&SiteID=14...(read more)

Fresh MOF beta materials ready for download on Microsoft Connect!

Jerry Dyer — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:21:48 GMT

Our latest collection of beta releases are now available for download. We hope you’ll take the time to preview and provide feedback on these new materials. These materials will provide organizations with the resources to apply MOF guidance to Microsoft products and technologies. This collection of workbooks, diagrams, and companion guides will help IT pros offer services that run smoothly and deliver expected value. Download the beta materials on Microsoft Connect. The beta package includes the following resources: · Bridging from MOF Guidance to Microsoft Products: A MOF Companion Guide · Diagrams of MOF Management Reviews · MOF Reliability Workbook for DirectAccess · MOF Reliability Workbook for Exchange 2010 Client Access and Transport · MOF Reliability Workbook for Exchange 2010 Mailbox Services · MOF Reliability Workbook for SQL Server 2008 · MOF Reliability Workbook for Forefront Unified Access Gateway The MOF/Microsoft products companion guide bridges the gap between high-level service management processes and real-world application by clearly outlining how to apply MOF concepts using Microsoft products. The best practices outlined in this guidance will help facilitate collaboration between IT process and IT technology professionals, resulting in higher quality service management outcomes that are faster and easier to achieve. Diagrams of MOF Management Reviews, which summarize the concepts outlined in the corresponding guide, are intended to help organizations ensure that their IT services are on track to deliver expected value. These colorful graphics logically put the goals, process flow steps, key terms, outcomes and measures, and role types of each management review into context. The visual representations provide the knowledge to help management set goals, evaluate progress, and confirm results. The reliability workbooks present hands-on tasks that you can fine tune to meet the goals of your organization and the technologies you employ. As always, we’d like your honest and constructive feedback: Please send your comments to MOF@microsoft.com ....(read more)

Use new MOF guidance to facilitate organizational improvement

Jerry Dyer — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:46:00 GMT

We’re pleased to announce our latest releases—a collection of workbooks, guides, and action plans designed to facilitate organizational improvement. This combination of resources builds upon the guidance offered in MOF 4.0, providing specific examples of the application of MOF concepts. The following resources are now available for download: · Continuous Improvement: A MOF Companion Guide · MOF Action Plan: Standard Changes · MOF Reliability Workbook for Microsoft Application Virtualization · MOF Reliability Workbook for User State Virtualization · Using Standard Changes to Improve Provisioning: A MOF Companion Guide To learn more about these new MOF guides and action plans, visit the MOF Extended Guidance page in the TechNet Library. To learn more about the reliability workbooks, visit the MOF Technology Library page in the TechNet Library. For additional MOF content, visit the MOF home page or the MOF TechNet Library page . Thanks for your ongoing interest in MOF 4.0. We hope you’ll download these latest releases, and we look forward to your feedback on future projects!...(read more)

Accelerate your transition to the Dynamic Datacenter with MOF

Don Lemmex — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:42:32 GMT

We’re excited to announce the release of new materials centered on service management of the Dynamic Datacenter. These resources build upon the guidance offered in MOF 4.0 and the component-level MOF reliability workbooks, providing specific examples of concept application, service vendor management, and health maintenance. The following resources are now available for download: · Best Practices for Service Vendor Management · Technical Service Reliability Guide and Workbook for the Dynamic Data Center To learn more about the Best Practices for Service Vendor Management companion guide, visit the MOF Extended Guidance page in the TechNet Library. To learn more about the technical service guidance for the Dynamic Datacenter, visit the MOF Technology Library page in the TechNet Library. Learn more about Dynamic Datacenter Solution Accelerators . For additional MOF content, visit the MOF home page or the MOF TechNet Library page . Thanks for your ongoing interest in MOF 4.0. We hope you’ll download these latest releases, and we look forward to your feedback on future projects!...(read more)

New MOF workbooks, guides, and action plans for organizational improvement now available for beta download

Betsy Norton-Middaugh, MOF Team — Thu, 06 May 2010 22:15:00 GMT

We’re pleased to announce that new MOF materials are now available for beta download. We designed this collection of workbooks, guides, and action plans to help facilitate organizational improvement. This combination of resources builds upon the guidance offered in MOF 4.0, providing specific examples of the application of MOF concepts. Download the beta materials on Microsoft Connect. The beta package includes the following resources: · MOF Action Plan: Standard Changes · Using Standard Changes to Improve Provisioning guide · Continuous Improvement guide · MOF Reliability Workbook for Microsoft Application Virtualization · MOF Reliability Workbook for User State Virtualization The Standard Changes action plan and Using Standard Changes to Improve Provisioning guide introduce the standard change process—using provisioning as a sample scenario—and demonstrate how to use standard change to reduce the time, labor, and money required for provisioning. The Continuous Improvement guide provides a process-focused look at how to improve service management. The guidance makes a case for the business value of improving services and describes the roles and responsibilities involved in planning and implementing continuous improvement changes. The reliability workbooks present hands-on tasks that you can fine tune to meet the goals of your organization and the technologies you employ. We hope you’ll take the time to download and review our latest beta releases. Once you do, tell us what you think. We’d like your honest and constructive feedback: Please send your comments to MOF@microsoft.com . Not a member of the MOF? Join now to download the latest beta materials. Existing members, preview these beta materials . Want more MOF? Visit our home page , and subscribe to the news feed. Follow us Twitter! @Microsoft_MOF...(read more)

Latest MOF Reliability Workbooks now available for download

Betsy Norton-Middaugh, MOF Team — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:40:00 GMT

In January of this year we unveiled the new MOF Technology Library , which was created to address the important need for guidance on the daily challenges of maintaining and monitoring specific technologies within your environment. The MOF team is pleased to announce that the latest additions to the MOF Technology Library, new MOF Reliability Workbooks, are now available for download. Download the MOF Reliability Workbooks , and start getting the most from your organization’s Microsoft technologies. The download package includes the following new resources: · MOF Reliability Workbook for Network Load Balancing · MOF Reliability Workbook for Internet Information Services · MOF Reliability Workbook for Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager · MOF Reliability Workbook for Windows Server® 2008 DNS Server · MOF Reliability Workbook for Active Directory® Certificate Services The download package also includes previously released workbooks for Active Directory® Domain Services, Microsoft® System Center Operations Manager, Hyper-V™, Windows Server® 2008 R2, and Microsoft® System Center Virtual Machine Manager. These workbooks apply the MOF focus on reliability to Microsoft technologies to provide the knowledge, specific tasks, and schedules needed to keep technologies running smoothly so you can deliver the services your organization expects. Each workbook includes maintenance and monitoring tasks, common risk areas, and standard changes for the ongoing care of specific technologies. The series also includes an administrator’s guide for customizing these technologies for your organization....(read more)

New Releases: MOF Management Reviews and MOF Service Mapping guides

Don Lemmex — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:36:00 GMT

After incorporating great feedback from our beta participants, we’re excited to announce that two new guides— MOF Management Reviews and MOF Service Mapping —are available for download. Thanks to those who helped us develop these latest extensions to the MOF core content! Download MOF Management Reviews. Download MOF Service Mapping. MOF Management Reviews will help organizations ensure that their technology services are on track to deliver expected business value. The management reviews in this document—Portfolio, Service Alignment, Project Plan Approved, Release Readiness, Operational Health, and Policy and Control—offer guidance to help management set goals, evaluate progress, and confirm results. MOF Service Mapping—an extension of the Business/IT Alignment Service Management Function (SMF)—is intended to introduce the content, structure, development, usage, and benefits of service maps. Service maps are graphical representations of a technology service that illustrate the various components that rely on the successful delivery of that service. Your interest is highly valued as we continue to develop new content. We hope you’ll download these latest releases, and we look forward to your participation in future beta review programs!...(read more)

MOF 4.0 Foundation Course Now Available for Beta Download

Jerry Dyer — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:24:00 GMT

Looking for the tools to deliver effective service management training? If any of the following statements describe you, we think you’d benefit from taking an early look at the new MOF 4.0 Foundations Course: · You deliver service management training. You’ve considered adding a MOF training to your list of offerings, but weren’t sure where to begin. · You deliver vertical technical training. You’d like to learn more about how to add value to your current offerings by teaching IT pros how to think about system integration and dependencies. · You’re a Microsoft Partner and a consultant. You’re interested in learning more about how you can help customers better understand integration. You’re also curious how personally participating in a MOF training program could help improve your service delivery. Any of those sound familiar? Then our new training course is for you! Download the MOF 4.0 Foundations Course; then tell us what you think . We’d like you to consider the following areas: · Did this training cover all the topics you expected to be covered in a foundation-level course? · Is the information offered at the appropriate level for a foundation course? · Does the instructor guide offer enough background information so that you can effectively deliver the course? · Is there other MOF training you would like to see? Download the beta version of these training materials on Microsoft Connect. Also currently available on Microsoft Connect: the final three releases in the management review series—Service Alignment, Project Plan Approved, and Policy and Control—and the MOF Service Mapping guide. · Not a current MOF Beta participant? Join now to download these beta materials. · Members, preview these beta materials on Microsoft Connect....(read more)

Start getting the most from your Microsoft technologies with the new MOF Reliability Workbooks

Betsy Norton-Middaugh, MOF Team — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:36:00 GMT

We’re pleased to announce our latest release, a new series of Reliability Workbooks. These initial components of the MOF Technology Library was created to address the important need for guidance on the daily challenges of maintaining and monitoring specific technologies within your environment. Download the MOF Reliability Workbooks , and start getting the most from your organization’s technologies. These workbooks apply the reliability focus of MOF to Microsoft technologies to provide the knowledge, specific task s, and schedules needed to keep technologies running smoothly so you can deliver the services your organization expects. Each workbook includes maintenance and monitoring tasks, common risk areas, and standard changes for the ongoing care of specific technologies. The series also includes an administrator’s guide for customizing these technologies for your organization. The download package includes the following: · MOF Reliability Workbook for Active Directory · MOF Reliability Workbook for System Center Operations Manager · MOF Reliability Workbook for Hyper-V · MOF Reliability Workbook for Windows Server 2008 R2 · MOF Reliability Workbook for System Center Virtual Machine Manager · Administrator’s Guide for Reliability Workbooks More titles will be released later in the year. Want more MOF? Visit our home page , and subscribe to the news feed....(read more)

Getting Started with MOF Released to Web

Jerry Dyer — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:10:00 GMT

Thanks in part to your participation at every stage of its development, a new MOF implementation guide is now available for download. The Getting Started with MOF 4.0 guide is the first step to a more efficient MOF implementation. The guide provides role-and situation-specific guidance, focused on helping users understand where to apply MOF and how to get the most from its recommendations. This new extension of the MOF core content speaks to three targeted audiences—the CIO/IT director, IT managers, and individual contributors. Tailoring the content to specific roles clarifies responsibilities and leads to improved service delivery in your organization. The guide includes a list of prioritized action items that address both proactive and reactive issues. Ultimately, this guide serves as the primary resource for implementing MOF within your organization. Download the Getting Started with MOF 4.0 guide. Looking for additional resources to help you get started with MOF 4.0? Download the MOF IT Pro Quick Start Kit. Stay tuned: A new series of MOF Reliability Workbooks will soon be available for Beta download. Want the latest MOF updates? Subscribe to our news feed....(read more)

Beta has released for "Getting Started with MOF 4.0"!

Don Lemmex — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:28:00 GMT

Picture this: you’ve just listened to a captivating presentation on MOF 4.0, and you’re all fired up and ready to get started. This stuff sounds great, makes sense, and could really turn your organization around. You can see all sorts of benefits from improved operations and services. Now what? We posed this question to our greater MOF network, and you responded. You sent us suggestions on what you’d like covered to help answer the “how” of MOF. Thank you for your feedback. We hope you’ll like this new implementation guide. MOF 4.0 incorporates the core requirements of industry best practices and frameworks into one free, easy-to-understand set of guidance. The Getting Started with MOF 4.0 guide is the first step to a more efficient MOF implementation. The guide provides role-and situation-specific guidance, focused on helping users understand where to apply MOF and how to get the most from its recommendations. This new extension of the MOF core content speaks to three targeted audiences—the CIO/IT director, IT managers, and individual contributors. Tailoring the content to specific roles clarifies responsibilities and leads to improved service delivery in your organization. The guide includes a list of prioritized action items that address both proactive and reactive issues. Ultimately, this guide serves as the primary resource for implementing MOF within your organization. Download the Getting Started with MOF 4.0 Beta guide today: · Not a member of the MOF Beta review program? Join now to download this release. · Members, preview this Beta guide on Connect. Looking for additional resources to help you get started with MOF 4.0? Download the MOF IT Pro Quick Start Kit. http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/5/8/658BC1E9-E262-45CA-BB6E-E87C058BBD37/IT%20Pro%20Quick%20Start%20Kit.zip...(read more)

Validate organizational release readiness for Windows 7 with the new MOF Action Plan

Betsy Norton-Middaugh, MOF Team — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Ready for Windows 7? Let us help. We introduced a new series of MOF Action Plans earlier this year in order to provide IT pros with concise, actionable solutions that address IT problems faced in the real world. We’re happy to announce the latest addition to the series. The timely new release will help organizations validate their people-readiness to move to Microsoft’s new operating system—Windows 7®. Download the release now: MOF Action Plan: Release Readiness for Windows 7 This action plan addresses the challenge of validating people-readiness for Windows 7 deployment. Building upon guidance from the MOF Release Readiness Management Review, the document asks the reader to evaluate four distinct aspects of release readiness, including operability and supportability and the release readiness of your production environment, business or customers, and release strategy plans. The action plan provides key considerations to determine organizational preparedness, as well as guidance for creating a tailored deployment checklist. Download the MOF Action Plan: Release Readiness for Windows 7 . Looking for other Windows 7 resources from the Solution Accelerators team? Check out the Windows Desktop Solution Accelerators page. Want more MOF? Visit our home page , and subscribe to the news feed....(read more)

Using MOF - Case Studies at Saudi Post

Don Lemmex — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:54:00 GMT

We’re pleased to announce the release of two new case studies sharing a recent MOF success story. Special thanks to Khalid AlHakim for driving this effort. Saudi Post, the official postal service for Saudi Arabia, used Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0 to improve business efficiency while lowering operating costs. Service Desk improvements and the creation of a Network Operations Center (NOC) enhanced communication between the organization and its customers and enabled better alignment between IT and the business. Read the NOC case study and learn how Saudi Post put MOF 4.0 to work, taking advantage of MOF’s practical and concise guidance. Early in the assessment process, it became clear that a central location for managing IT support was necessary, and MOF principles and practices were applied to successfully establish the new Network Operations Center. Saudi Post executives were pleased with the benefits of MOF, citing well-rounded improvements to the organization. CIO, Dr. Usamah M. Altaf praised MOF’s guidance: “ We found MOF very helpful in establishing the NOC and overcoming any challenges. MOF helped us create the right team structure, define clear roles and responsibilities for every team member, determine the right mission for the NOC, and identify the right processes for systems and applications when you move them into a production environment .” Saudi Post was also able to improve the reliability and availability of its Service Desk to provide IT services. Using MOF guidance enabled Saudi Post to more clearly define roles and positively affect the organization’s business services. Dr. Altaf also found MOF beneficial for the evolution of their Service Desk: “ MOF helped us in creating a Service Desk structure that enabled us to differentiate between a request, incident, or a real problem, making an architecture that is easy to follow, defining an escalation process, and achieving our targets ,” the CIO said. Check out these new case studies and learn more about Saudi Post’s success story. Interested in sharing your own MOF success story? Contact the MOF team ....(read more)

MOF Action Plan- Redistributing the Workload

JoeCoulombe — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:55:00 GMT

The Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) team is excited to announce the first release in a new series of MOF Action Plans. Download the premier release now: MOF Action Plan- Redistributing the Workload IT pros are faced daily with challenges that require actionable results. We think they’d benefit from bite-sized solutions to those real-life IT problems. Allow us to introduce just such a solution—the new series of MOF Action Plans. These resources are designed to provide IT pros with concise, actionable solutions that address IT problems faced in the real world. The first release in this new series addresses the challenge of redistributing the workload due to staffing cuts and asks the reader to consider and reconfigure key responsibilities and work distribution, based on key principles and best practices from MOF 4.0 core content. Download the MOF Action Plan- Redistributing the Workload ....(read more)

MOF Framework Comparison Guides Released

Betsy Norton-Middaugh, MOF Team — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:22:00 GMT

We’re continuing to extend core MOF content with two new companion guides: Cross Reference ITIL®V3 and MOF 4.0 and Using MOF for ISO/IEC 20000. These guides compare MOF with some of IT’s most widely used service management guidance. They’ll give you: · An overview of IT Service Management (ITSM) and an introduction to the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF). · A work plan for attaining ISO/IEC 20000 standards and a practical, tangible way to demonstrate your company will meet certification requirements. These guides will help you understand the characteristics and alignment of ITIL and MOF and obtain the information required for an informed approach to meeting today’s service management challenges. Additionally, you’ll learn how MOF aligns with and supports commonly used governance guidance and the vital role MOF plays in enabling the integration of GRC capabilities into quality and reliable daily IT operations. Download— Cross Reference ITIL® V3 and MOF 4.0 Download— Using MOF for ISO/IEC 20000 Download — Planning for Software-plus-Services...(read more)

Planning for ISO/IEC 20000: A MOF Companion Guide (Open Beta Now Available)

jasono — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:54:00 GMT

The Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) team is extending the MOF 4.0 core content with the release of companion guides. These guides are intended to help business and technical decision makers and IT pros perform IT-related activities effectively and cost-efficiently. Each guide applies MOF 4.0 principles to specific activities—making MOF’s guidance even more practical and usable. We’re pleased to announce the beta of the latest guide: Planning for ISO/IEC 20000 . Join the beta here . This guide will help you prepare your people, processes, and technologies for ISO/IEC 20000 certification. The companion guide will allow IT management staff and service providers to understand the ISO 20000 requirements and assist them in planning for streamlined and efficient implementation using MOF. The guide enables users to take informed steps toward certification, make cost-reducing process improvements, and increase organizational efficiency and flexibility. Ultimately, the steps outlined in this guide will help an organization meet ISO 20000 requirements and deliver effective IT services. Tell us what you think! Test drive our beta guide, and send us your honest feedback. What are your thoughts on the MOF companion guide? What other scenarios would you like to see us address? We appreciate the input and will work to make each guide as helpful and useful as possible. Tell your peers about MOF 4.0! Please forward this to anyone who wants to learn more about Microsoft Operations Framework. Already using Microsoft Operations Framework? We’d like to hear about your experiences. Please send comments and suggestions to MOFpm@microsoft.com . Thank you! Jason Osborne IT GRC Program Manager...(read more)

Planning for Software-plus-Services: A MOF Companion Guide (Now Available for Download)

jasono — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:47:00 GMT

The MOF team has released a new guide, Planning for Software-plus-Services: A MOF Companion Guide . Download it now: Download — Planning for Software-plus-Services The Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) team is extending the MOF 4.0 core content with the release of additional companion guides. The guides are intended to help business and technical decision makers and IT pros perform IT-related activities effectively and cost-efficiently, seamlessly aligning IT and business goals. Each guide applies MOF 4.0 principles to specific activities—making MOF’s guidance even more practical and usable. This companion guide provides a framework for considering and planning a software-plus-service strategy, using concise guidance and strategies from MOF 4.0 core content. The guide will enable you to make informed, cost-effective decisions and choose a qualified service provider. Ultimately, the steps outlined in this guide will help you evaluate how software-plus-services can best help your organization. Related Resources Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0 MOF 4.0 Online Forum Please send your comments and feedback to MOF@microsoft.com . Thank you! Jason Osborne IT GRC Program Manager...(read more)

Moving On....

jasono — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:01:00 GMT

I realize the MOF blog has been quiet recently and I wanted to let everyone know why. As the Quick Start Kit announcement I just posted shows, the MOF team is still hard at work at producing new IP for your consumption and will be continuing to build out the MOF 4.0 library of content. I however will not be directly involved in that effort as I have moved on to a new, if closely related position in Microsoft, focusing very specifically on IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) offerings. One of the other MOF PMs will be picking up the Service Management blog and continuing its development it and I will be working with both my new team and the MOF team to share information about our IT GRC plans as I can. And I look forward to hearing your opinions and feedback on those solutions over the coming year. Thank you! Jason Osborne IT GRC Program Manager...(read more)

MOF IT Pro Quick Start Kit Now Available for Download

jasono — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:56:00 GMT

The MOF team has recently released a new tool to get you up and running with MOF 4.0. The MOF IT Pro Quick Start Kit is now available for download . The kit includes overview presentations, podcasts, and data sheets, as well as information on MOF and compliance, training and certification updates, and ready-to-use graphics. Please let us know if you have ideas for additional resources. Get MOF. Get to work. Jason Osborne IT GRC Program Manager...(read more)

Companion Guides: IT Compliance & Software + Services

jasono — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:09:00 GMT

I've received several follow-up e-mails asking where the Companion Guides can be found and two of them are indeed available. The MOF IT Compliance Companion Guide is released and can be downloaded here . The MOF Planning for Software + Services Guide is currently in beta and can be downloaded from the MOF Connect site here . The two System Center guides are underway and I hope to have something to show early next year (Q1 2009). More to come! Jason Osborne MOF Frameworks PM...(read more)

MOF 4.0 Now Under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License - Freely Adapt MOF for your Business Needs

jasono — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:28:00 GMT

Hi All, One of the first things people realize when looking at implementing a service management framework, whether it is ITIL, MOF, or another, is that they must not only be adopted but also adapted to your individual organization's needs. You have to decide which of the described processes are relevant to your requirements and to what depth to apply them. this is true whether you are a consultant trying to make a living assisting others in their implementations, or a IT Manager trying to decide how improve upon your organization's existing change control. MOF 4.0 now fully supports this need for flexibility and the ability to remix, adapt, and shuffle the content with the adoption of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. This license allows you to freely Share (copy, distribute, or transmit) any of the MOF content and Remix (adapt) that content to suit your needs. For a full legal explanation of the terms of the license, please refer to the Creative Commons website. Let us know how you take advantage of this as we're looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Jason Osborne MOF Frameworks PM This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License ....(read more)

Announcing: The Release of Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0 and the new MOF Online Forums

jasono — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:58:00 GMT

Hi all. I wanted to let everyone know about two exciting announcements. At MMS, the MOF team has announced the relesae of Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0 and the new MOF Online Community Forums , a new online home for the discussion of of all things related to MOF, service management, ITIL, IT governance and related frameworks across the IT lifecycle as they tie to the Microsoft platform. We sincerely look forward to getting to know you all better on our new forum and introducing you to the new MOF. Now that we're though the very intensive development schedule of MOF 4.0, the level of online activity across our all of our community outlets will be picking up considerably over the next few months. Please drop in our our new forum, say hello, and keep an eye out for some of the announcements that will be coming, such as training webcasts, hosted LiveMeetings with the both the MOF development team, key customers and implementers, as well as Microsoft's own IT department. The release announcement for MOF 4.0 follows. Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0—Simplifying IT Service Management I am thrilled to announce the release of Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0. MOF 4.0 applies service management concepts to the tasks and challenges IT professionals face every day. The guidance it provides puts IT pros in the spotlight—it speaks to their needs and provides them with job aids to help them make sound decisions. MOF 4.0 features guidance specifically written to help CIOs, IT directors, IT managers, and IT professionals at all levels plan, deliver, operate, and manage IT services across the lifecycle. In version 4.0, MOF introduces a new structure that puts emphasis on outcomes, results, and roles in a format that’s easy to reference. Because every group, team, and company is unique, the service management functions (SMFs) in MOF 4.0 are anchored by questions that support the decision-making process within an organization. This new, streamlined approach makes it possible to use either the entire framework or just one component of the framework to solve a particular problem. The practical guidance in MOF 4.0 features processes; governance, risk, and compliance activities; management reviews; and best practices from Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF). Finally, to ensure industry alignment, MOF 4.0 supports the best practices found in frameworks such as ITIL, CoBIT, and ISO 20000. The new release of MOF offers concise, practical guidance across the IT lifecycle, but it doesn’t stop there. Another very important element of version 4.0 is our online community: a platform where IT professionals can contribute their own timely, relevant recommendations for achieving reliable, cost-effective IT services…and benefit from the contributions of their peers. What You Should Do Next Download MOF 4.0 now at www.microsoft.com/MOF , then join the online MOF community . See what you can contribute—and what you can gain—by participating in forums and blogs, providing feedback, and supporting other IT professionals. Please let us know what you think of this latest release of MOF. We look forward to hearing from you, Sincerely, Jason Osborne MOF Frameworks PM...(read more)